Pilots Tiredness

Updated the page on pilots’ fatigue.

Ryanair – Stansted – 2011

On October 24th, 2011, a Ryanair flight, travelling from Stansted to Riga in Latvia, was aborted 20 minutes after takeoff when tape used to mend a cockpit window came unstuck and started to make alarming noises, a passenger has said. The tape had been fastened around the edges of the windscreen in the cockpit by ground crew shortly before take-off, he claims. According to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), it was being used as an extra precaution to secure a new window seal on the plane.

Ryanair flight aborted after ‘taped window comes loose’

Flybe – Brussels – 2011

On October 12th, 2011, a Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration G-JECH performing flight BE-593 from Manchester,EN (UK) to Brussels (Belgium) with 49 passengers and 4 crew, was on approach to Brussels descending from FL250 to FL200 when a pop was heard from the rear of the aircraft followed by noise of air escaping the fuselage, the flight crew felt mild inner ear pain and concluded the aircraft suffered a loss of cabin pressure. The cabin was climbing at 3000 feet per minute and was climbing above the set altitude of 7000 feet. The crew initially requested a continuous descent to FL100 with ATC, after the cabin pressure warning illuminated both flight crew donned their oxygen masks and initiated an emergency descent to FL080. The crew subsequently detected the cabin altitude had stabilized at 2000 feet again, the emergency was cancelled and the aircraft continued for a safe landing in Brussels.

Flybe DH8D near Brussels on Oct 12th 2011, loss of cabin pressure

Air Berlin – Berlin – 2011

On October 7th, 2011, an Air Berlin Boeing 737-800, registration D-ABAG performing flight AB-6187 from Berlin Tegel to Munich (Germany), was climbing through FL230 out of Berlin when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing injuries to two flight attendants. The flight continued to destination for a safe landing at Munich about 45 minutes later. The German BFU reported the aircraft rolled left to about 30 degrees bank angle during the unexpected turbulence encounter. Cabin crew was just preparing cabin service, a number of trolleys toppled over causing a fractured ankle to one and minor injuries to another flight attendant.

Air Berlin B738 near Berlin on Oct 7th 2011, turbulence injures 2 flight attendants

Air Berlin – Berlin – 2011

On October 3rd 2011, an Air Berlin Airbus A330-200, registration D-ALPI performing flight AB-7249 from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Berlin Tegel (Germany) with 254 passengers and 10 crew, was climbing through 2500 feet out of New York when an unusual odour of wet pullovers was observed in the cockpit and cabin, especially in the forward area of the cockpit. The crew identified the smell as oil fumes and continued the climb to FL380 where the odour reduced to bearable intensity. Several cabin crew reported headache resulting from the fumes, cockpit crew members complained about dizziness and tumb fingers causing difficulty to operate the MCDU. Medical services contacted via radio refused service arguing the oil fumes event was “political” because of the involved TCP (“TriCresyl Phosphate”) problems. After monitoring the oil consumption over the first 4 hours of the flight the crew identified a loss of 4 quarts of oil for the left hand engine (PW4168) with the right hand engine’s oil consumption remaining normal. During the approach to Berlin, while descending through FL070 the smell increased in intensity again. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Tegel’s runway 26R about 7 hours after departure from New York. The purser received serious injuries.

Air Berlin A332 near New York and Berlin on Sep 25th and Sep 26th 2011, odour causes all crew feel unwell

Jet2 – Leeds – 2011

On Sunday, October the 2nd, a pilot landed a Jet2 plane at Leeds-Bradford International Airport using only his footbrake after the jet developed a major problem. Fire crews from 11 stations were scrambled to the airport when the aircraft flying from Venice developed a problem with the brake. The plane’s reverse thrusts, used to slow the plane down on landing, were also understood to have failed.

With fire crews waiting on a full-scale emergency, the relieved pilot landed the plane safely but was said to have looked ‘shook up’ afterwards. Firefighters from across Bradford district were called to the airport.

Full-scale emergency after plane’s brake fail

Ryanair – Zaragoza – 2011

On October 1st, 2011, a Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EFG performing flight FR-5275 from Zaragoza,SP to Sevilla, SP (Spain) with 80 passengers and 6 crew, was accelerating for takeoff on Zaragoza’s runway 30R when the crew noticed a vehicle stopped on the left side of the runway. Considering the distance to the vehicle and the speed of the aircraft the crew elected to continue the takeoff and cleared the vehicle overflying it in about 120-150 feet. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Sevilla. Spains CIAIAC opened an investigation into the serious incident.

Ryanair B738 at Zaragoza on Oct 1st 2011, takeoff with vehicle on runway